Cheer of the Day!

[DJH]

Yippee...just finished, well nearly, our terrace ( not a patio herself says... ) and the overgrown patch behind the old milking parlour after nearly 13 years. Pictures to follow.

Doug

 

[TheRoost]

Yesterday I planted a cherry (cheery? ) laurel hedge, in our bleak empty concrete front garden. The plants turned up on time (heavy rootball 6ft tall plants) I started after breakfast and had it all finished in time for lunch.

This is the only job on the house I've ever completed in less than three months, so feeling quite pleased with myself today!

 

[DJH]

Well done Roost.

The nice weather meant a cup of coffee (couldn't find any KitKats ) on the 'terrace' this afternoon. The cows are out by day and night now the ground has dried a little...



Doug

 

[88v8]

Well done for remembering this thread. A pleasant change from the usual damp n doom

I hung the fourth door on my garage, rescued five years ago from a Georgian coach house . Mind you, still have to fit the locks and various other stuff.
On Tuesday took the car out for the first time since hanging the doors - had to open and close them! Long time since we did that.

Ivor

 

[DJH]

That's good to hear Ivor...bet the car is pleased!!

I was tempted to resurrect the Grump of the day topic as I have several grumps as well!!! Maybe later when it rains again.

Doug

 

[a twig]

While replacing suspension bushes, I finally located and resolved an irritating clunk on my Series 3 109, traced to the fact that the rear axle damper mount was in fact no longer attached to the axle.

Quick squirt or two with the welder, damper can now carry out its proper job, clunk gone, and ride a great deal comfier, huzzah!

 

[a twig]

Well, as I posted a grump, I thought I'd better post a cheer as well. The spare room that I was frantically lime plastering before Christmas passed muster, and room was up and running with a bed and fresh linen by lunchtime Christmas Eve, meaning parents were not turfed out into the log store.

Went in and checked the damp/temp meter in there today, average temperature up 3 degrees, and humidity dropped by 10% compared to how the room was before I started work. So very happy indeed with that

Lime washing starts next week, then skirting boards, then just about done. I may even stick up a piccie when the limewashing has hidden the worst of my travails...

 

[JanJonWestWales]

Well, as I posted a grump, I thought I'd better post a cheer as well. The spare room that I was frantically lime plastering before Christmas passed muster, and room was up and running with a bed and fresh linen by lunchtime Christmas Eve, meaning parents were not turfed out into the log store.

Went in and checked the damp/temp meter in there today, average temperature up 3 degrees, and humidity dropped by 10% compared to how the room was before I started work. So very happy indeed with that

Lime washing starts next week, then skirting boards, then just about done. I may even stick up a piccie when the limewashing has hidden the worst of my travails...

Nice one !!
Doing the same in an Attic room, finished first coat of course lime render last weekend, have been checking the forecast every day, and not a freezing night in sight

 

[malcolm]

I've just bought a really cool door to fit into the recently un-bricked-up hole between the kitchen and the snug. The kitchen is a Georgian extension and the snug still has it's original 1600ish ceiling height. The door is Georgian (removed from a renovation sadly) and has a different status on each side. One side matches the intended kitchen panelling, and the other side has different mouldings to suit a higher status room. I had been procrastinating and avoiding buying new doors I don't like for weeks.

 

[noj]

I've bought a new watering can!

Not the world's most exciting thing, but whilst not period it is proper heavy galvanised steel with a nice brass rose. I was wandering round the top floor in Liberty at lunch time and it was sitting on their 'less than £10' table - so with an 80% reduction it had to be bought...

It was the last one though - a shame because when I subsequently displayed it in the office everybody else wanted one too

 

[plasticpigeon]

A lovely Ewardian corner shop with amazingly intact stonework and windows was driven into at some speed by a late night taxi doing a bit of off roading a few months back. It was ruined, the wall below the window was knocked down, stonework broken and the wooden windows with stained glass pushed out of place and broken in parts. It sat for perhaps 6 months boarded up, I assumed waiting for the inevitable plastic crap and rubbish cheap wall to be built, but today I drove past and it has been restored back to how it was with new stonework, repaired woodwork and stained glass, and decent looking brickwork. A miracle, I shall post a pic tomorrow.

Before damage

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4567608,-1.8190381,3a,75y,329.91h,87.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8DDASniDXk_ANDNbOdohPw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

After damage

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4567648,-1.8190675,3a,75y,329.91h,87.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMweZS3zy5YPbw3F75u3_hw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[a twig]

Today I found a sprayer that is compatible with limewash (i.e. doesn't clog) and best of all is cheap! Did my entire second coat of a room (walls and ceilings) in just under half an hour!

Sprayer can be found at Screwfix for £20 if anyone is interested - make sure you have the flow setting on max as it is more likely to clog otherwise. Linky:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-enb558srg-100w-solenoid-spray-gun-220-240v/11919

It is somewhat noisy - but at that price point it seems rather churlish to compain. Obviously get yourself a decent mask when spraying Got a lovely smooth and even coverage, no running. Accurate enough pattern to be able to spray around sockets.

The only times I resorted to the brush was when there were a few hairline cracks that needed attention.

 

[Flyfisher]

Wow - really? How thin/thick was your limewash?

I've got a lot of external lime washing to do as soon as the weather warms up enough and have wondered about spraying but have always assumed it would quickly clog. The attraction of spraying, for me anyway, is more to do with avoiding splashes. Maybe it's just me but the stuff seems to flick everywhere when using a brush and I end up spending almost as much time cleaning up than actual limewashing!

For £20 I'll probably give this sprayer a try. My only concern is the size of the container. How many m2 were you getting before having to refill?

 

[a twig]

My limewash was fairly thin. As I was doing it just for one room, I bought a tub, the particles in it were pretty fine, and by the smell and lack of dust afterwards I think that there might be a bit of linseed or casein in it, from here:
http://www.limestuff.co.uk/paints-limewash/limewash-off-white/

I was getting about 3-4 sq m per refill. The kit with the gun gives you a handy viscosity test to make sure that your wash is liquid enough for the gun to cope with. A quick filter with an old pair of tights is enough to remove any particles that are too large. Although I'm pretty sure you could get/bodge a bigger bottle on, it starts to get quite heavy after a while, allied to the vibration of the gun I probably wouldn't want a bigger tank to be honest.

I'm pretty sure the room I'm doing will take three coats - so no more than to be expected with a brush. Like I said it is worth keeping a soft block brush handy just to really work it into the odd crack if needed.

 

[Flyfisher]

Thanks for that. I'll give it a try later in the year.

 

[Feltwell]

today I drove past and it has been restored back to how it was with new stonework, repaired woodwork and stained glass, and decent looking brickwork. A miracle, I shall post a pic tomorrow.

Hurrah! Obviously a decent owner with proper insurance who wasn't fobbed off by the insurance company no doubt trying to sell them the benefits of "lovely" UPVC for a repair. I wonder if they had to double glaze it though, for Building Regs?

There's not many original Victorian / Edwardian shopfronts left - amongst those that are there are still some being ripped out every year :evil:

 

[angrybird]

Looking through some old photos I found this ,it's my Great Uncles shop. He worked there 7 days a week until he was 89. He knew where every nut, bolt and piece of nicknackery was kept. I don't think he did an annual stock take :lol:

 

[Feltwell]

I think I've just seen a picture of the future of my garage..... :lol:

I love shops like that, as you say usually staffed by an old boy who knows where everything is and refuses to change. It's a hark back I guess to the days where you didn't serve yourself in a shop, you stood in front of the counter and asked. Alas they are both nearly extinct

 

[Feltwell]

Central heating boiler fan starting to get noisy, sound like it's rubbing on it's case. Take the boiler apart this morning, the rubber mounts the fan motor sits on are ever so slightly worn, just enough so the fan has enough movement to catch the case when it starts or stops. Can I buy the little rubber mounts that must cost about a ha'penny? No, of course not, that'll be £110 + VAT for a complete new fan assembly Sir :evil: .

A red fibre washer under each mount to pre-load them ever-so-slightly and stop the excess movement and all is fixed for a good few years to come

 

[DJH]

Just finished the leadwork on a hay barn....yippee (not mine I hasten to add!!)



The ventilator for the top...



one of the eight leadwelded roll ends.